Welcome to Dallas/Fort Worth, proud host of the 2025 National Festival of the National Association of Composers USA. This vibrant metropolitan area, rich in cultural heritage and artistic innovation, provides an inspiring backdrop for this year’s celebration of new music and contemporary composition. We are thrilled to welcome composers, performers, and audiences from across the country to share in this exciting event.
This year’s festival will showcase seven dynamic concerts held at two outstanding venues: the beautiful Central Commons Sanctuary and the state-of-the-art Van Cliburn Concert Hall at Texas Christian University. Following the live performances, the festival will continue with five days of virtual presentations, offering an extended platform for composers, performers, and scholars to connect, share new work, and explore ideas in contemporary music from wherever they are.
We are deeply grateful to the many individuals and organizations that make this festival possible - our motivated composers and dedicated performers, our generous host chapters (Mid-South, Sounds New, and Texas), and our invaluable partners at Texas Christian University for inviting us through their New Music Ensemble and their Faculty String Quartet. But above all, we are truly indebted to you - our audiences. Your enthusiasm, curiosity, and support are the heartbeat of this festival. It is your presence that brings the music to life and gives meaning to our work.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE (tentative)
Central Commons Sanctuary
4711 Westside Dr, Dallas, TX 75209
or
Van Cliburn Concert Hall, Texas Christian University
2900 W Lowden St, Fort Worth, TX 76109
September 19, 2025: Central Commons
Welcome, Introductions, and NACUSA Open Forum on Increasing Stakeholders: Performance Members 4:00 pm
CONCERT I, Texas Chapter: 5:00 pm
CONCERT II, Texas Chapter: 7:00 pm
featuring composers Daniel Adams, Kaleb Barrett, John G. Bilotta, Alan Goldspiel, Ian Guthrie, Mark Landson, John McGinn, Ken Metz , Jakub Polaczyk, Wieslaw Rentowski, Greg Steinke, Alex Shapira, Neil Stipp, Rodney Waschka, Betty Wishart, Tyler Webster
September 20, 2025: Central Commons
CONCERT III, Sounds New Chapter: 1:00 pm
NACUSA Open Forum on Attending Conferences/Festivals and Managing Expenses
3:15 pm
CONCERT IV, Sounds New Chapter: 4:00 pm
featuring composers Wieslaw Rentowski, Aaron Kline, Indigo Knecht, Alex Shapira, Eric Heilner, Rodney Waschka II, Alan Goldspiel, John Mackay, Nikki Krumwiede, David Acevedo, Sunny Knable, Martin Hebel, Ethan Resnik, Jace Mankins, Benjamin Schoening, Jean-Paul Perrotte, Clifton Callender, Felicity Mazur-Park, Ian Evans Guthrie, William Jason Raynovich
CONCERT V, Mid-South Chapter: 7:30 pm
featuring composers Wieslaw Rentowski, Alex Shapira, Valentin M. Bogdan, Mel Mobley, Alan Goldspiel, David Peoples
September 21, 2025: TCU
National and TCU hosting featuring performances by the TCU New Music Ensemble and TCU Faculty String Quartet and composers Till Meyn, Valentin M. Bogdan, Sami Seif, David Peoples, Droki Ouro, Soheil Shirangi, Daniel Adams, Ian Evans Guthrie, John G. Bilotta, Ian Wiese, Theresa Koon, Mark Francis, Indigo Knecht, Yuxuan Liu, and Deborah Kavasch
CONCERT VI: 4:30 pm
CONCERT VII: 7:00 pm
Lodging Suggestions: There is a wide range of lodging options conveniently located near the concert venues. Whether you're looking for boutique accommodations, national hotel chains, or budget-friendly stays, you'll find plenty of choices to suit your needs and ensure a comfortable visit. You can also check with Texas composers (Wieslaw Rentowski has arranged a possible discount with La Quinta of Dallas)
Transportation: Dallas is sprawling, and getting around without your own vehicle can be challenging. If you won’t be arriving with your own vehicle or renting a car, be sure to plan ahead and rely on rideshares, taxis, or the DART public‑transportation system. TCU has a dedicated page with information on how to travel from DFW and other advice for people traveling to their campus: https://admissions.tcu.edu/visit/planning-your-visit.php
Restaurants: There are restaurants located near both events, we suggest using apps to find your desired experience and connecting with other participants when you can.
September 22 - 26, 2025
Virtual Presentations
https://www.youtube.com/@NACUSAmusic1
All Presentations Premiere at 3:00 pm EST
Monday
Neil Stipp. Leah Reid, Ali Balighi, Indigo Knecht, Martina Litty, Luigi Morleo
Tuesday
Mark Francis, Alex Shapira, Jerry Casey, Paul A. Oehlers, Luciana Perc, Catherine Neville
Wednesday
David Acevedo, Betty R. Wishart, Eric Heilner, Jace Mankins, Jewel Dirks, Greg Bartholomew, Gary Powell Nash, dextro (video) / Chris Arrell (audio)
Thursday
Amirhossein Zeinali, Robert Fleisher, Droki Ouro, Michael M. Chang, Greg A Steinke, Jakub Polaczyk, Lisa Ann Marsh
Friday
Paul Dice, Stephen Montalvo, Sunny Knable, Sarah Bassingthwaighte, Sébastien Vaillancourt, Jana Koshy, Sawyer Adler, Jon Mizrahi
NACUSATHON 2024 Virtual Presentations (Audio Only)